While reading the July 29 LNP | LancasterOnline article “5 ‘improperly registered’ people found within Lancaster County voter rolls: officials,” my first reaction was that if the state would stop trying to do voter registration at the time of driver’s license renewal, it would help solve the problem.

I was then not surprised to find, as I continued reading the article, that voter registration at state Driver and Vehicle Services locations was part of the problem.

Having renewed my driver’s license/Real ID in the spring, I experienced this situation firsthand. Voter registration questions appear automatically. The staffer insisted that I answer the voter registration questions, even after I told her multiple times I was already registered to vote and asked why I had to answer the questions since I was already a registered voter.

The answer was “There’s nothing I can do. You have to answer the questions.” Only after answering all the questions did the Driver and Vehicle Services staffer say, “Answering no to the first question would have stopped the process.” Why not just tell me that?

Now imagine individuals with limited understanding of English being continually told the same things I was told: “There’s nothing I can do. You have to answer the questions.” They would have completed the questions, and I believe this is how some people are incorrectly registered to vote.

If the state wants to continue to offer voter registration at Driver and Vehicle Services sites, then better education is needed for its employees on how to properly answer questions and not give the answers I received.

Suzann Shearer

Manor Township

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